Speed Booster for photographic lenses, released by Metabones

Metabones and Caldwell Photographic have joined their forces and created a new optical accessory, designed specifically for APS-C and mirrorless cameras with Micro Four Thirds sensors.

Have you ever wanted to make your lens wider, while making it brighter, too? Well, this is now possible thanks to the brand new Metabones Speed Booster.

This compact and lightweight accessory decreases the focal length of an optic by 0.71x. At the same time, it increases the maximum aperture by the same amount.

The Speed Booster will become available soon and will allow Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras to attach Canon EF-mount lenses on their shooters.

This is the Metabones Speed Booster that is compatible with mirrorless cameras with APS-C or Micro Four Thirds sensors.

The new Metabones Speed Booster is supposed to be mounted between a mirrorless camera body and a lens. The optical and lenses design is made by Brian Caldwell, the man behind Caldwell Photographic Inc.

He explains in Metabone Speed Booster’s white sheet, that the new accessory does the same thing as a teleconverter, only backwards: instead of increasing the focal length and f-stops, it decreases them.

Speed Booster has a focal length multiplier of 0.71x, resulting in an increase of one aperture stop. Combining Speed Booster’s focal length multiplier with an APS-C mirrorless camera, results in a total FF (Full Frame) lens-to-image crop of almost 1:1, or full-frame view. This means that by using a full-frame lens on a APS-C sensor camera, while having the Speed Booster attached, it will make the image look like it’s shot with a full-frame camera.

Metabones Speed Booster crop factor examples on different types of sensors and lenses.

Unfortunately, the new adapter is available for usage only with Canon EF (EF-S not supported) lenses on Sony NEX-series camera bodies. It delivers auto-aperture, image stabilization, EXIF support, and autofocus.

Shortly after the official release, there will be support for Leica R, ALPA, Contarex, Contax C/Y and Nikon F lenses. It will be available from January 2013 on Metabones’ site and its worldwide dealer network, at a price of $599.